Promoting foreign affairs and international cooperation in the new era

In recent years, Dong Nai province's foreign affairs and international cooperation have made strong and comprehensive progress, contributing significantly to expanding development space, attracting resources, and enhancing the province's position in the region and the country.

Especially, after the administrative unit merger, the requirements for Dong Nai province's foreign affairs are not only to maintain traditional friendly relations but also to proactively expand and elevate international cooperation, associated with socio-economic development, digital transformation, green development, innovation, and deep integration.

In the spirit of the foreign policy at the 13th Party Congress, "Proactively and actively integrating comprehensively and deeply into the international community, being a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community," the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee has determined: Foreign affairs are a key task, a driving force, and a soft power contributing to creating a foundation for the province's rapid and sustainable development in the new era.

Outstanding achievements

Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy are implemented synchronously.

Implementing Resolution No. 34-NQ/TW dated April 25, 2023, of the Politburo on some major orientations and policies for implementing the foreign policy of the 13th Party Congress, the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee has issued specific plans and organized many Party diplomatic activities with friendly provinces of Laos, Cambodia, Cuba, and some other strategic partners.

Provincial Party Committee member, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thi Hoang presents flowers to welcome delegates attending the Dong Nai Province Friendship Culture - Sports Week 2025. Photo: Van Truyen

Regular visits, working sessions, and delegation exchanges between Dong Nai province and localities such as Champasak (Laos), Kratie and Kampong Thom (Cambodia), Pinar del Rio (Cuba)... not only consolidate traditional friendly relations but also open up many practical cooperation opportunities in human resource training, high-tech agriculture, healthcare, culture, and education.

Besides, the province always maintains and promotes the role of people-to-people diplomacy through cultural exchange activities, international volunteering, border twinning, and supporting international students studying in the province. Every year, Dong Nai has granted full scholarships to Lao and Cambodian students; organized youth exchange programs, friendship associations, and national holidays of friendly countries. These activities have contributed to strengthening solidarity, friendship, and fostering the image of a compassionate, friendly, and open Dong Nai.

International cooperation is expanded, more effective, and substantive.

The province has proactively re-signed and expanded cooperation with traditional partners. Specifically, with the Republic of Korea (RoK), Dong Nai province has implemented civil servant exchange programs, youth exchanges with Gyeongnam and Jeollanam provinces; successfully organized bilateral investment promotion conferences. In relation to Japan, Dong Nai has re-signed the 4th Framework Agreement on Economic Cooperation with the Kansai Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry; organized many cooperation programs on supporting industries, energy saving, and human resource training. With respect to China, Dong Nai has strengthened working delegation exchanges, investment promotion, and educational cooperation; in 2023, Jiangsu province granted full scholarships to Dong Nai students to study at universities in China. Regarding its cooperation with Laos and Cambodia, Dong Nai has effectively implemented signed agreements, exchanged high-level delegations, and provided 20 annual scholarships for students from the two friendly countries. As for Cuba, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed to establish friendship relations between the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee and the Pinar del Rio Provincial Party Committee, opening up new directions for cooperation in agriculture and training.

Economic diplomacy - a bright spot in international integration.

With the perspective of "diplomacy serving development," Dong Nai has organized many investment promotion conferences at home and abroad, especially in Japan, RoK, Australia, Laos, Cambodia, Taiwan (China), and Singapore. Events such as "Meet RoK," "Vietnam - Japan Trade Promotion," and "Investment Promotion in the area around Long Thanh International Airport" have helped the province attract dozens of additional FDI projects, expand cooperation in trade, logistics, services, high-tech agriculture, and new energy. In addition, the province also issued an Action Plan on Economic Diplomacy for the 2023-2026 period, focusing on connecting with Northern Australia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Mekong sub-region, creating more opportunities to access international markets and resources.

Cultural diplomacy and external information are increasingly rich.

Dong Nai has effectively implemented the External Cultural Strategy until 2030, associated with promoting the image of its people, heritage, scenic spots, and development potential. International exchange activities, exhibitions, and the Dong Nai Province Culture, Sports, and Friendship Week in 2025 with foreign localities have left a beautiful impression on international friends. External information work is emphasized, with the development of bilingual specialized pages introducing the investment environment, sustainable development, and socio-economic achievements, thereby contributing to enhancing the province's image and position in the international arena.

Some key tasks and solutions in the new period

Firstly, it is about staying proactive, flexible, and creative in implementing external affairs; continuing to thoroughly grasp the Party's foreign policy, ensuring comprehensiveness and synchronicity among Party diplomacy, State diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy. Party committees and authorities at all levels must consider external affairs a crucial political task, closely linked to the local socio-economic development goals. The key tasks include innovating leadership and direction methods, improving the quality of coordination among sectors and units, especially in unifying the management regulations for external activities after the provincial merger; shortening administrative procedures, increasing proactiveness, and timeliness in delegation exchanges and signing international cooperation.

Secondly, the province needs to promote economic diplomacy, creating breakthroughs in attracting investment. It will focus on targeted investment promotion, aiming at strategic partners, high-tech corporations, and green enterprises; promote cooperation in the fields: renewable energy, digital transformation, logistics, smart cities, and high-quality education – healthcare. Emphasis will be placed on combining economic diplomacy with trade and tourism promotion, creating an open and transparent investment environment, ensuring the rights of foreign investors while enhancing the social responsibility of FDI enterprises in the locality.

Dong Nai currently has 88 provincial international cooperation agreements with 17 countries and territories worldwide, of which 27 agreements are still in effect, focusing on strong areas: trade - services, supporting industry development, clean energy, human resource training, high-tech agriculture, science - technology, and environment.

Thirdly, Dong Nai would promote the role of people-to-people diplomacy, consolidating international solidarity. Its priorities include strengthening exchange and twinning activities between the people of Dong Nai's border provinces and localities in Cambodia and Laos; and promoting the role of the Provincial Union of Friendship Organizations and the Vietnam - Laos, Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Associations in enhancing mutual understanding and people-to-people cooperation. At the same time, the province should exert all effort to mobilize overseas Dong Nai expatriates to return to their homeland, participating in investment, entrepreneurship, and technology transfer, contributing to spreading the image of an integrated, developed, and affectionate Dong Nai.

Fourthly, the province must build a contingent of professional and modern foreign affairs cadres. There’s a need to train and foster the foreign affairs personnel  with strong political steadfastness, deep professional capacity, international integration skills, and good command of foreign languages and information technology.

Fifthly, Dong Nai would strengthen border management and ensure external security; continue to coordinate closely among functional agencies in managing the Vietnam - Cambodia border, promptly handling arising issues, ensuring political security and social order and safety in the border area. The province will also implement plans for maintenance and protection of border markers, combined with developing cross-border economy, building a peaceful, friendly, and cooperatively developing border area.

Promoting external affairs and international cooperation is a strategically significant task, making an important contribution to establishing the position, expanding development space and mobilizing synergistic strength for Dong Nai in the new period. With a tradition of dynamism, creativity, solidarity, and compassion, the Party Committee and people of Dong Nai province will continue to promote the pioneering role of foreign affairs - an important channel to promote socio-economic development, improve the quality of life of the people, and consolidate the trust of international friends.

By Huu Tho-Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha